Hill End Stories is our blog celebrating 100 years of outdoor learning
No.9 – A Day in the life of a Tutor
In our latest blog Hill End Stories we ask… what does a Hill End tutor do?
To mark the start of another wonderfully busy school term, this month we hear from our Education Manager Karen Hobbs.
“Ah, September – a time of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’ and a time when we look forward to the start of another school year and the opportunities to encourage our visitors to engage with nature!
Being a tutor at Hill End is such a privilege. The chance to meet so many young people, to help them discover this very special site and to continue in the footsteps of all those who have taught here before.
So what does a day in the life of tutor look like?
“Staff arrive in time for the 8.30am briefing in the office. In the height of the summer, this seems more like a busy tactical command centre with our large map, showing who will be on site, with which group and when.
Once stakes have been claimed, and everyone knows what they are doing, it is off to the Lab to gather resources. This amazing ‘Room of Requirements’ used to be an old laboratory and the name has stuck. Now it is home to all the equipment we use. From sweep nets to spare socks, buckets to bug pots it’s all in here somewhere! Keeping this room tidy can be a full time job in itself but the treasures within allow us to nearly always have the right resource to hand – even if we didn’t know we needed it!
Once our sessions are set up, it’s off to meet the group. This might be down in the car park, welcoming excited visitors fresh off their coaches or greeting groups that have stayed on site overnight (and who might be less animated, depending how much sleep they got!).
We run a wide variety of sessions here. Our programmes cover everything from traditional nature based activities such as pond dipping and bug hunting to large-scale team games and of course our history days. We can often have them all happening on the same day!
This can occasionally lead to surreal moments at the main gate where visitors might encounter a Roman soldier chatting with a WW1 officer whilst a welly clad pond dipper helps another tutor set up an orienteering challenge on the field.
Many of our tutors are Forest School trained and our sessions fit with the Forest School ethos of child-led learning opportunities and using natural locations to encourage a deep connection to the environment. We pride ourselves on offering the chance for children to take a break from technology and really get hands on.
This might be anything from them making their very own stone axe on a Stone Age day to seeing a Great Crested Newt up close for the first time.
And it allows the adults some amazing experiences too – what coach driver can forget 50 children boarding their coach waving 50 stone axes or a teacher making sure that pockets are all emptied of bugs before the end of the day!
Whatever session our tutors might be running that day, it is always a thrill to be able to share their own enthusiasm and passion for the outdoors with a group. And whether it’s a visitor’s first time here or their one hundredth, Hill End always has something different and exciting to offer!”
Huge thanks go to Karen and all our amazing tutors for making every day so special.
If you’ve enjoyed this, why not take a look at some of our other Hill End Stories?
No.1 – The Early Days – from Hill End Farm to Hill End ‘Camp’
Our first blog featured some of our favourite ‘Memory Bank’ contributors – Alan and Margaret Trinder, now both in their 90s. Their stories were fascinating, and priceless! Read the full blog here.
No.2 – All About Birds – or Education with Eggs
For our early springtime blog we heard how we’re Inspiring children with help from the researchers next door Find out about this amazing collaboration with the University of Oxford in our blog here.
No.3 – “The Millins Tale”
Our very own David Millin looks back from 1981 and reflects on four decades working and living at Hill End. What’s changed, and what’s stayed the same? Read the full blog here.
No.4 – Pond Power!
Hill End is blessed with a wonderful diversity of aquatic habitats, but did you know that many have been created by our staff over the years – to benefit both education and wildlife? Find out more here.
No.5 – We have something to ask
We work hard to keep visits affordable and offer support where we can. But right now, it’s getting harder for charities like ours. Can you help us? Find out more here.
No.6 – We go on residential back to the 1950s
What was a school trip like seventy years ago? What’s changed? The size of suitcases for a start! Read the fascinating recollections from an inspirational teacher, David Munday here.
No.7 – Landscapes of memory: From teacher to volunteer
Kim Base first visited as a student, then a teacher, as a Hill End tutor, and today as one of our dedicated volunteers. He shares just a few of those memories caught our landscapes here.
No.8 – Beautiful butterflies, magnificent moths
In the summer of 2026 our meadows were buzzing with an extraordinary abundance of life. We set a moth trap to find out who else is living at Hill End – you can find out what we found here.
If you have your own memories of Hill End, no matter how old or how recent, please let us know in our new Memory Bank – it only takes a moment, and we’d love to hear from you!
You can read more about our rich heritage on our history pages and our 100 year celebration page.
Join us to celebrate and help ensure the next 100 years are even stronger.
FAMILY BUSHCRAFT - SAT 7 NOVDiscover new skills, connect with nature and enjoy an unforgettable family adventure! Only a few places remaining — book now!hill-end.org/activities/upcoming-events/
